Gloves off in council meeting

TWEED Greens Party councillor Katie Milne has accused other councillors of being disrespectful after suggesting some of her attitudes might change “once she becomes a mother”.

Cr Milne, who is unmarried and without children, took offence at the comments made after she called on councillors to defer renewing the lease of a Murwillumbah shed to a local boxing club for a “peppercorn rent”.

Staff had reported the previous one-dollar-a-year lease acknowledged the club’s support for disadvantaged young people but Cr Milne said a review should be conducted to ensure such deals did not discriminate against other groups.

But Cr Dot Holdom said the premises in Amwil Park, which had been used by the Murwillumbah Boxing Club for eight years, provided “an avenue for young people” in need of activities.

“That dear little place just sits on that hill and provides a place for these young people who need support,” Cr Holdom said.

“When you are a mother, you might understand Cr Milne.”

As Cr Milne objected, Cr Joan van Lieshout added: “Perhaps that might be true. When you are a mother you learn a lot of things.”

The comments came during an often heated council meeting which earlier focussed on Cr Warren Polglase’s apology to an 80-year-old woman who had complained he told her to “get a job”.

Cr Polglase later sought an apology from Cr Milne after she made a muffled “reflection” on his attitude to “the younger generation” – leading her to say a quick “sorry”.